Harry Potter and the Case of the Missing Wand
by KappaTea
Summary: It has been two months since Harry defeated Lord Voldemort during the Battle of Hogwarts. Now he has to deal with what comes next, and the frightening prospect of moving on into the world of adulthood. He has no idea what he is supposed to do now, and with only his desire to become an Auror as his sole driving factor, and his relationship with one Ginny Weasley.
1. New Beginnings

**– CHAPTER ONE –**

New Beginnings

The cold and pale hand reached outwards towards his face, threatening to squeeze the very life out of him while an equally pale wand is pointed every slower towards his chest. A pale body veiled in black robes and two gleaming red eyes filled with the murderous intent and the chance of final victory.

'Die.`` Said the high pitched and cold voice. The voice of the most feared man in all of Wizarding history.

There was a flash of green light, and Harry Potter woke. He was panting and sweaty, sat upright in his bed in The Burrow. Mr and Mrs Weasley had allowed Harry to use Charlies old room while Harry himself decided where he would live for himself. He had not wanted to go back to the Dursleys and no longer had a reason to.

It had been two months since the fall of Lord Voldemort at the hands of Harry him, elf, and finally the worst blight in the Wizarding world was other and order was slowly being restored. The dead had been buried, which had in Harry's mind been the single hardest part of the war against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Saying goodbye to Fred, Lupin, Tonks and even Colin Creevey had left Harry feeling hollow.

The loss of Fred had had a profound effect upon his twin brother George. The twins, even in the darkest of times, had been a source of entertainment and merriment for many. The were always the first to crack a joke or quip in an attempt to lighten the mood. The remaining Weasley twin attempted to show this whimsical side of him whenever in public, but the playful laughter was gone from the prankster's eyes.

The entire Weasley family had taken the loss of Fred in particular the hardest. Each of them did their best to hide their grief behind smiles and forced laughter. But everyone close to the family could see through their facade, Harry and Hermione especially.

Then there was little Teddy Lupin, who would grow up without ever knowing his Mother and Father, much like Harry himself. Even his grandfather had been cruelly taken away from him before his birth, leaving Teddy entirely in the care of his Grandmother Andromeda Tonks.

So much death surrounded Harry that did not have to ponder or wonder why he was still having nightmares about the very man that had caused them all. Even now that he was dead and buried, the Wizarding World still refused to speak his name allowed, using instead the moniker of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Even though the taboo that had been cast upon the name Lord Voldemort had been lifted, the magical community still associated the name with terror and death.

Harry could already feel the panic attack coming on as he sat there with the memories of the nightmare that had awoken him, and the memories of the recent months flashed in front of his mind.

'He's dead.`` He muttered to himself at barely even a whisper in an attempt to control his nerves. 'You survived.'' These four words had been Harry's mantra for the past few months now, every time the same nightmare woke him up at random times in the night.

Once he had stopped the shivers and shaking of his body, Harry glanced towards the window to see the sun's rays slowly beginning to filter through the dark closed curtains as the sun began to rise over the horizon. From this, he guessed that it was still early morning and although he had no plans to fill out his day, decided that it would be time to get up anyway. He pushed the covers from off of him, reached over to the bedside table for his glasses and clambered out of the sweat soaked bed.

After putting on glasses, Harry looked down at the bed and sighed to himself. He took his wand from the spot next to where his glasses had been on the bedside unit and waved it through the air, as he had on several mornings lately. A small wave of heat emanated from the holly and phoenix wands tip and quickly dried the sheets and bed coverings, thus hiding Harry's own shame. He knew that it was silly to think that Mrs. Weasley, or any of the Weasley family currently at The Burrow would think any less of Harry for having nightmares, but he couldn't help himself.

With the task done, Harry quickly dressed into a clean pair of clothes and left the room, heading downstairs in search of breakfast.

``Oh, good morning Harry dear.' Came the familiar voice of Mrs. Weasley when Harry found her sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of now cold coffee clutched in both hands.

'Morning Mrs. Weasley.`` Harry said cheerily.

'Please Harry, call me Molly. How long have you known me now? There's no need to be so formal.' The red haired woman gave him that same motherly smile that Harry had come to expect from the generous and warm woman.

'Sorry Mrs Wea- I mean Molly.' He corrected himself. He still wasn't very comfortable being on a first name basis with the person who had treated him like a surrogate son for so long.

'Are you hungry dear? I'll cook something up now.' She stood to rise, tipping the full mug onto her fingers slightly having apparently forgotten that it was there. Harry wondered just how long Mrs. Weasley had been up for, the dark circles under her eyes were almost always present these days. Not that it wasn't uncommon for her to be the first up in the mornings, but these days she appeared to sleep very little, and no matter how the Weasley family pleaded with it's matron to get some rest, Mrs. Weasley always insisted that she was fine.

'No, no. That's okay!' Harry said hurriedly 'honestly Mrs. Weasley I can make something for myself.' He insisted when she gave him that warm smile she used when she felt he was being silly.

'How about some bacon and eggs?' She said with a simple wave of her wand, to rid the table of the coffee and make the mug float into the sink before continuing to her feet.

``I don't want to be any trouble, especially as you and Mr. Weasley have put me up until I decide on my own place.' Harry said, joining Mrs. Weasley in the small kitchen just as she took out a frying pan and made eggs and bacon meet her.

'Harry, you know that me and Arthur are happy to have you with us.' Harry knew that there would be no further point in making his case now, and instead just sighed and smiled to the kind woman as she set the pan on the flame and lowered a few strips of bacon onto it.

'Is Mr- I mean is Arthur already at work?' Harry couldn't help but give Mrs. Weasley a guilty smile as she turned to him the look that all mothers gave their children as a warning.

``Oh yes, he and Percy have been so terribly busy at the Ministry these days. It's to be expected of course with the mess it was left in and attempting to ferret out those put under the Imperius Curse.' She said, returning to her work as she made the eggs break themselves into a second pan.

'Is Kingsley's transition as Minister going smoothly?' Kingsley Shacklebolt had replaced Pius Thicknesse as Minister of Magic a few days after the fall of Voldemort. It had taken a bit of effort, Arthur Weasley told everyone around dinner one day, to get him to step down. Apparently, even though Thicknesse had been under the Imperius Curse during his tenure as Minister, he still felt as though the position should continue to be his.

'About as well as to be expected I suppose.' Mrs Weasley continued. 'There have been those that have spoken out against Kingsley, but most agree that he is right for the position. I don't think he likes being Minister very much though.'

'I think he will make a good Minister.' Harry said plainly. He had always disliked the Minister's prior to Voldemort's coup. Their desire to use Dumbledore, and Harry, as a scapegoat and then the denial of fault and blame on their behalf still caused his blood to boil. He glimpsed down at his right fist and the white hue of scars on it. "I must not tell lies."

'I think so too.`` Molly Weasley said as she started dished up Harry's breakfast, complete with a glass of cold pumpkin juice. 'There we are.' With a wave of her wand, she sent plate, knife, fork and glass over to sit on the table.

'Thanks Molly.' Harry grinned at her before taking hintoat to dig in to the hot meal.

'You are welcome dear.`` She smiled in return and made herself a fresh cup of coffee before sitting opposite Harry just as Ron ambled down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

'Mornin.' He mumbled, evidently still half asleep. Normally the second youngest Weasley woke much later than this. Harry suspected that the smell of cooking food to be the cause of his early rise.

'Morning, Ron.' Harry said, dipping a chunk of bacon into the yolk of his egg.

'Whas for breakfast, mum?' Ron asked, slumping into the chair next to Harry's.

'Honestly Ron, is your first thougMrslways food?' Mrs. Weasley asked with a tut before she started making her sons breakfast.

'Nightmare again?' Ron asked in a huMrs voice when Mrs. Weasley was sufficiently out of earshot, leaning closer to Harry to be sure that his mum wouldn't overhear.

'Mmn..' Harry nodded with a mouthful of egg white and bacon.

'Written to Hermione yet?' The freckled redhead asked as he helped himself to Harry's glass of pumpkin juice.

'Not yet, I was hoping to see her in person first.' Harry said, running his last chunk of bacon around the egg yolk on his plate with his fork.

'We could apparate to her this afternoon if you want?' Ron offered after draining the glass of juice. Harry knew why Ron wanted to see Hermione, the pair had been spending significant amounts of time together lately now that they were an "official couple" as Ron put it.

'You know I'm not supposed to be apparating yet. I still haven't taken the test.' Harry had had to remind Ron of his several times over the past few weeks.

'Kingsley isn't going to throw you into Azkaban just for a bit of illegal apparition Harry, come off it' Ron rolled his eyes and thanked his mum for his plate of food as it came soaring over to him.

'No. Harry is right Ron. He needs to pass his test first.' Mrs. Weasley said as she sat back down opposite the two.

'But he did it loads when we were doing all that stuff for Dumbledore.' Ron frowned across the table at his mother, waving his fork in the air with a bit of egg on it.

'Don't wave your food around Ronald.' Mrs. Weasley said, raising her voice just enough to make Ron groan. 'When are you two going to tell me and everyone else what it was you were doing anyway?' She kept the edge to her voice as she turned her gaze upon Harry.

'We can't Mrs. Weasley.`` Harry repeated, as he had so many times before. He still felt guilty that he continued to hide the secret mission that Dumbledore had left him, Ron and Hermione to do after his demise. But Harry couldn't bring himself to break his silence now. It was Dumbledore who had told Harry that he was to tell nobody else but his two best friends.

'Honestly Harry, I am sure Dumbledore didn't expect you to never tell anyone.' Her eyes stayed trained on Harry, who could practically feel it's intensity seeping into his stomach like a snake. Years of raising Fred and George had made Mrs. Weasley a force of nature when it came to parenthood.

'Drop it already mum, we can't tell you.' Ron said with that bored monotone voice he used when he thought it was pointless to continue a point further.

'I wish I could tell your Mrs. Weasley, I really do. But I swore to Dumbledore.`` Harry continued and saw Molly Weasley's eyes soften before she sighed, defeated.

'Fine, fine. You two win. But really Harry, it does more harm than good to keep things bottled up.' She gave him that pointed motherly stare that told Harry she knew better and he smiled to himself. He might have never known his own mother, but because of the woman sat across from him, Harry knew what it was to have one all the same.

'I know Mrs. Weasley. Thank you.`` Happiness almost seemed to creep back into the woman's otherwise sad eyes, even for just a moment before it was gone again. Harry, like all those close to Molly Weasley, knew what was troubling her and causing her to spend countless hours alone or with her husband. The loss of Fred was a void that could never be filled, especially for a mother and father.

At that very moment, and perhaps it was for the better, Ron belched and cleared the otherwise healthy y atmosphere in moment. Harry can't help but grin to himself as Mrs. Weasley began to berate and scold her son who could own sheepishly smile back in return.


	2. At The Granger Residence

– CHAPTER TWO –

**At The Granger Residence**

Later that afternoon, after completing a number of chores for Mrs. Weasley, Harry and Ron met back up in the front garden. They had, admittedly spent much of the morning together, helping one another with their tasks. But sometime around eleven, Mrs. Weasley called them apart when she sent Ron and Ginny down into the nearby muggle village for some fresh supplies of bread and milk.

Harry had offered to go with the pair to the village, but Ron insisted that he complete a few more of the daily chores before they went to see Hermione.

'Better to do them now rather than later.' He had told Harry, sounding suspiciously like Mrs. Weasley in doing so. Even Ginny had rolled her eyes at her older brother, but no amount of complaining on her part had worked. Ron had been doing these ever since Harry had come back to The Burrow to live in the care of Mr and Mrs Weasley. Harry could certainly understand this brotherly behaviour from Ron, it had after all, been something that had happened before in regards to Ginny's love life. But no matter how much Harry and Ginny both insisted to Ron that they were taking things slowly, that they weren't going to rush their relationship, Ron's stance would not change.

Harry and Ginny had become something of an item again after the downfall of Voldemort. But their relationship was not as intense as it had been inside the walls of Hogwarts. A lot of their time together, even with as little as that was as they were rarely left alone together for more than a few minutes, was spent talking and holding hands. Harry had no doubt in his mind or heart that Ginny didn't love him, just as he was certain that he loved her. But there was no denying the fact that the pair had spent nearly a year apart last year, and that Harry's choice to end the relationship after Dumbledore's funeral had hurt Ginny and himself.

Ron's behaviour towards the pair of them was nothing however, compared to that of Mr and Mrs Weasley. While they were happy that Ginny and Harry had told them that the pair were indeed a couple, Harry would not escape the scrutiny that went along with the relationship status. While Molly and Arthur Weasley had made it somewhat clear in the past that the pair of them had been rather, adventurous towards one another, they would not permit any sneaking around from their only daughter and Harry Potter. Mr Weasley had even taken Harry aside one day to have "the talk" as Ron had put it, making it very clear to Harry that if he were to ever do something to hurt Ginny, he would be no longer welcome under his roof. Harry knew that both parents held great respect, love and pride for himself just as he had them, and even though they had demonstrated the ferociousness that they would protect their children with, it was only now that he himself may end up contending with it. He had seen what Molly Weasley had done to Bellatrix Lestrange, a powerful dark witch in her own right and he had no desire to put himself in that position.

'Ready to go then?' Ron asked as he handed bag he had been carrying to Ginny as the pair walked up the path to Harry.

'You're not going to splinch me this time?' Harry asked his best friend, remembering all too well the last time he had allowed Ron to guide him in side along apparition to go and see Hermione in Diagon Alley. Admittedly, it hadn't been a catastrophic injury, Harry had merely noticed that the little finger of his left hand was missing.

'Hermione put it back didn't she?' Ron said, apparently not all that concerned or at all guilty about the incident.

'That's not the point Ron.' Ginny shot her brother her best Molly Weasley impression that caused Ron to flinch just slightly and quicken his pace to Harry's side. 'Say hi to Hermione for me.' She added, giving Harry a quick peck on the cheek and the briefest of hugs before continuing on into the house before Ron could tell them to stop.

'Let's go.' Harry grinned and grabbed hold of Ron's arm. He felt the familiar, and deeply unpleasant, sensation of being constricted on all sides that always made Harry wonder if there was even a need for him to pass his test and get his license. Within moments, the sun was warming them again and Harry found himself completely whole and looking towards a pleasant detached house. The garden was walled with a small hedge that enclosed a flower bed and neatly trimmed grass. The spot where Mr Granger, Hermione's dad's, car was usually parked on the driveway was vacant, telling Harry that her parents were at work.

'See, no splinching.' Ron grinned, clapping Harry hard on the back before leading the way to the gate and up the pathway towards the front door.

'Hardly something to be proud of when we've been appariting for as long as we have.`` Ron looked over his shoulder to scowl at Harry for the jape, but Harry just grinned right back at him.

The front door opened without Ron ringing the bell set into the frame, Hermione had taught him what it was for and how to use it before she had allowed him to come and visit her. Hermione stood in the open door, beaming down at the two of them dressed in a pair of jeans and a jumper that had once belonged to Ron, hair as bushy and wild as always.

``Ginny said to say hello.`` Harry said after clearing his throat. Ron and Hermione had just kissed their greeting, and he didn't want them to be locking lips for too long

'Hi Harry.`` Hermione said cheerily, hugging him as he followed Ron into the hallway.

'Parents still at work?' He asked in a pleasant enough voice.

'Yeah, the dad and mum get plenty of work during the holidays, lots of kids eating too many sweets.`` She said, closing the door behind her before she gestured both Ron and Harry into the living room. This was the first Muggle house Harry had been in since he had left the number 4 Privet Drive last year, and on first impression he could tell that it was much more inviting that the residence of the Dursley's ever had been. Everything was clean and had its place, but it wasn't the same clean that Aunt Petunia would declare clean. The house had a more relaxed manner to it. There was a small layer of dust on the wooden table that had on it a bowl of fake fruit and a smaller one for keys, that told Harry that it had been at least a few days since it's last dusting.

He smiled as he followed Hermione and Ron into the sitting room, a small room with a single cream coloured sofa and matching armchair positioned under the large window so that it faced the electric fire and TV. Harry took the armchair, leaving the sofa for Hermione and Ron who promptly wrapped an arm around the other as they sat.

'So. Tell me about your nightmares, Harry.`` Hermione said without any prompting or warning, catching Harry off guard.

'What, how do you…' He didn't need to ask the question though, instead answering it himself as he turned to glare at Ron who just glared back at him.

'Come off it mate, of course I told her.' Ron said defiantly.

'You should have told me sooner Harry, even if it was in a letter.' Hermione said sternly, backing Ron up.

'Look, it's been hard enough as it is, okay?' Harry said loudly, trying to push away the images of Hedwig lying still in the bottom of her cage the night he had fled Privet Drive.

'I know how much you still grieve Hedwig Harry, but that is no reason to not write to people. Even Hagrid says he's worried about you.' Hermione kept her eyes on Harry, not once looking away even as he looked towards the floor.

He didn't quite know what to say in return. He had already expected the half-giant Hagrid to be worried that Harry had not written to him for so long, especially now that Voldemort was gone. But he thought for sure that Hagrid of all people would understand. Hagrid who loved magical creatures more than anything in the world. Hagrid who had bought Hedwig as a birthday present all of those years ago, Harry's first real birthday present.

The bittersweet memory brought tears to Harry's eyes, and he quickly blinked them away after seeing Ron and Hermione exchange worried glances.

'I know that I'm being stupid, I know that I should just get another owl, but I just…' He broke away, feeling another wave of emotion hit him.

'We know how hard it is Harry. We miss her too.' Hermione said gently.

'Yeah mate, and that isn't any reason to shut yourself off.' Ron added, nodding his agreement to Hermione.

'They're about him.`` Harry said quietly, imagining those vivid red eyes and that snake like face leering at him from the darkness.

'The nightmares?' Hermione asked, just as quietly.

'Yeah. I keep seeing him.' Harry closed his eyes, trying to will the memory of the nightmares back as they came flooding to the forefront of his mind.

'But he's gone Harry.`` Ron said, looking at Hermione with a questioning gaze. 'Isn't he?'

'Of course he is. We all saw you kill him. We were all there when they burned his body and buried the ashes.' Hermione said confidently, shooting Ron with an almost angry and know it all look that she was known for.

'I know, I know.' Said Harry, looking over at them both. 'But that doesn't stop me from having stupid nightmares about him.'

'They aren't stupid mate. I think it would be more stupid to not have nightmares about him to be honest.' Said Ron.

'Do you have nightmares about him?' Harry could feel the slightest glimmer of anger rising inside of him again, like a snake rising to strike, ready and poised.

'Well, no. But then I didn't fight him in a duel now did I?' Ron said as though any other point of view was just plain daft.

'Ron's right Harry. Just think about how long you and… and… Voldemort.`` She and Ron shivered slightly at the use of his name.

'It's not a taboo anymore.' Harry said, rolling his eyes at their reaction to the name.

'Just think about how long the threat has been looming over you, and the history you have with him.' Hermione continued, ignoring the interruption with only a slight look of annoyance. 'It's only natural that you should have nightmares about him.'

What Hermione said certainly did make sense to Harry. Voldemort had been a part of Harry's life since his very first birthday, when Voldemort himself had murdered Harry's parents and given Harry his lightning bolt scar. Then, ever since Harry had entered the Wizarding world on his eleventh birthday, Harry had been battling against Voldemort and his Death Eaters in some way. Voldemort had been an ever present shadow, looming over Harry until the fated day that they faced one another one last time during the Battle of Hogwarts. "For neither can live while the other survives." That had been the prophecy that had sealed the pairs fates. But even now that Voldemort was gone, truly and finally gone, he still couldn't shake the feeling of Voldemort somehow lurking in the shadows, waiting for his chance to finally kill Harry Potter. Just like in the nightmare, it was as though Voldemort's pale hand was wrapped around Harry's throat, never letting him go.

The thought of it was enough to cause Harry to begin sweating, and he could feel his pulse began to quicken. He pressed his fingers into the arms of the chair, white-knuckle gripping them as he shut his eyes and tried to fight off the oncoming panic attack. He had never been scared of Voldemort before, not truly even when he knew that he should be. But now. Now the mere thought of him was enough to reduce Harry to this.

'Oh Harry.`` Hermione sighed, reaching forward to stroke at Harry's hand, trying to calm him again. 'It's okay Harry, you're safe here.' She murmured while Ron looked on, too lost for words.

'I'm fine.' Harry coughed after a short minute, that to him felt like a lifetime. 'Let's… let's talk about something else.'

'Have the two of you thought anymore about what you want to do now?' Hermione asked, looking from Ron to Harry, and then back again. ``I mean, we have finished school now, sort of.'

'I dunno.' Ron said, tapping his fingers against his thigh. 'I'd never really thought about it to be honest, during the careers advice.' This earned him a scowl from Hermione, who had considered their education of the utmost importance, especially the careers advice.

'I still want to be an auror.' Harry said determinedly. 'There are still a bunch of Death Eaters on the run, and I want to find them and stop them.'

'Dad says that a number of them have fled the country now. Says he wouldn't be surprised if the ones that still believe in the Dark Arts and all that form groups of their own now.' Ron said with an air of importance.

'Do we know how many of them are still out there?' Hermione asked in a hushed voice, as though she was afraid that they might hear her talking about them.

'No clue, most of them have been put back in Azkaban though. I'm still pissed off that the Malfoy's haven't been imprisoned though.' Ron glared into the mirror, Harry could tell that he was imagining Draco gloating about it at school somehow.

'For heaven's sake Ron, I've already told you that the Malfoy's weren't arrested, but they aren't exactly free either.' Hermione said, sounding rather exasperated by Ron's continued hate of the Malfoy family.

'Oh come off it Hermione, they're Death Eaters! They should all be locked up for what they've done.' Ron almost pleaded for her to see his side and agree with him.

'But they also changed sides, remember.`` Harry said softly. Although he didn't much like the Malfoy's most of all Lucius and Narcissa, he did at least agree with Hermione to some extent. 'If Draco's mum hadn't of lied when she did, Voldemort would have actually killed me back in the forest.'

'I know, I know. But that still doesn't change the fact that they are Death Eaters.'' Ron said through gritted teeth, and Harry couldn't help but wonder if this was what he had sounded like in their sixth year of Hogwarts when he had insisted that Draco and Snape were Death Eaters.

The conversation was however, cut short when the sound of a car pulling onto the drive filled the room.

'Oh damn, they're back early.' Hermione cursed, looking over her shoulder at the now parked car just as her father cut off the engine and both of her parents climbed out.

'Why does it matter?' Harry asked, confused as to why Ron now looked as white as a ghost and Hermione resembled a deer frantically trying to get away from a wolf. Sure Harry had never actually formally met Hermione's parents, besides the odd encounter at Kings Cross or in Diagon Alley, but he felt confident Ron had. He also knew that Hermione had "told them a lot about him." She had said so last year, when she told Ron and Hermione about how she had modified their memories.

'Because, I've not told them about Ron yet.' She hissed, glaring at Harry apparently deeply offended by the fact that he wasn't doing more to help or more in the know.

'What?' Harry spluttered, stifling a laugh. 'You mean to say that they still don't know?' He grinned, looking from Ron to Hermione. Ron was slowly sinking deeper and deeper in the chair now.


End file.
